Local Property legal help needed urgently

[lounge lizard]

Looking for decent and reasonably priced legal advice. Struggling with a very difficult landlord who gave us 2 months notice to quit, following a couple of maintenance issues with the property which he dealt with very slowly. My mrs was 38 weeks pregnant, we've found somewhere else to live and will hopefully move before the birth, however he expects us to pay the next 6 weeks rent. Despite marketing the property online as available to move in from the 5/5 and planning some fairly major refurb work.

He's been so unpleasant to both us, including doorstepping my now 39 week pregnant mrs on monday that I really don't want to pay him any more money however he has our deposit. So if we move on the weekend I potentially have to pay him till the 30th of May in order to get my deposit back. Adding to this he threatened to give me a bad reference if I seek legal advice - that's blackmail in my book.

Any recommendations for local legal firms open on a saturday who I could get some unbiased advice from ?

[esme]

Glazer Delmar are very good, based on Northcross Road

[lounge lizard]

Glazer Delmar, according to the receptionist, only represent landlords, nice, anyone got any other suggestions?

[womanofdulwich]

Citizens advice?

[Jem]

Is your deposit protected by a tenancy deposit scheme? We have just come out of a battle with our LL over deposit but went through TDS. You can check here https://www.tds.gb.com/is-my-deposit-registered.html if not there are 3 other schemes you can check with. You should have been given documents to say where it is protected - its a legal LL requirement. The deposit also has to have been registered within 10 days of handing it over to them and you should have been given the prescribed info leaflet or the LL is liable to pay you 3 x the amount your deposit... So do check that out. All this will strengthen a legal case.

Unfortunately there is very little in place to protect tenants as I recently found out... You may find Small claims may be the only way forward. which having spoken to shelter for advice is apparently very straightforward and you can do yourself without the use of a costly solicitor. It cost around ?90 to file a claim. You can also talk to southwark council and report the LL as rogue but they won't actually be able to do anything. Did a quick google and came across these people http://www.fishermeredith.co.uk/legal-advice/service/personal-services/landlord-tenant/disputes-with-landlords although I have not used them so don't take it as a personal recommendation!

Good luck and do give shelter a call they were invaluable source of advice when I was having a nervous breakdown over our deposit being unfairly taken, they may also be able to suggest solicitors to speak to. Also if you renting through a letting agent - they should be helping you too... Know you are not alone with crap LL's we had one which we fought and won and was worth every ounce of stress involved.

[JDC]

I would take Jems good advice. Citizens Advice tends to take a long time and it may be weeks before you get to see a specialist adviser. Make sure you have as much documentary evidence as possible to accompany your claim and research on line for similar examples as a guide. If your LL fails to respond to the claim in time, the claim will be upheld in your favour and can be enforced by the court bailiff. Have you thought about having your LL discussing matters with you whilst you surreptitiously record the conversation including him blackmailing you? I did so in a legal matter in which I was involved and the other party managed to hang themselves and quickly settled out of court. Also, you could give him a taste of his own medicine if there are any breaches of H&S or L&T regulations in the flat. You could report these and have the authorities take action against your LL causing him cost and inconvenience.

[Cyclemonkey]

Hi, i am not a lawyer but have been on a few housing law courses. Firstly your type of tenancy matters, i will assume you have an Assured Shorthold tenancy? It sounds like your landlord has issued a section 21 notice, this means he has given you 2 months notice that he requires possesion of the property. This is NOT an eviction notice and you do not have to leave. I would check that the notice has been issued correctly. Your landlord cannot legally issue a Section 21 notice if he has not protected your deposit or if it has not been issued correctly. With regards to the rent owed if you have a fixed term contract you will owe your landlord rent until the end of that contract whether or not you live there. However if you move out before the end of your contract and your landlord continues to demand rent he cannot legally relet the property during that time. In order to do this he will have to agree "mutual surrender" with you eg you leave befor the end of the contract and he does not demand rent for the remaining period and thus is free to relet the property immediately.